2011 Season Review

2011 Swarthmore Baseball  (20-14, 9-9 CC)

The steadily-improving baseball team enjoyed another strong season, reaching the 20-win plateau for the second-consecutive year and just missing out by a tiebreaker on a return trip to the playoffs.

The Garnet began the 2011 campaign by winning nine of its first 13 games, including a season-opening win over NCAA playoff-participant Catholic University on its spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C.

In Centennial Conference play, the season highlight was a home sweep of nationally ranked Johns Hopkins. The two wins marked the first time the Garnet had beaten perennial powerhouse Hopkins since 2000, the first time the Blue Jays had been swept by a Centennial Conference opponent since 2007, and Swarthmore baseball’s first-ever victory over a nationally ranked opponent.

Four players were selected to the All-Centennial team: Rory McTear ’13, team leader in stolen bases (15) and runs scored (33); and freshman Nicko Burnett ’14, team leader in batting average (.389), on-base percentage (.500 ) and slugging percentage (.528), were selected to the second team. Mike Waterhouse ‘12 and Anthony Montalbano ’12 received honorable mention.

A pair of pitchers also had standout seasons. Staff ace Ignacio Rodriguez ’12 finished with 3.45 ERA and 5-1 record, and closer Ramsey Walker ’13 broke the single-season save record with seven.